The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. VII.

[verse 1] Forsothe and Y [Om. Ia pr. m.] am a deedli man, lijk [lijk othere I.] men, and of erthli kynde of hym that was maad first, and in the wombe of the [my I.] modir Y was fourmed fleische. [verse 2] In the time of ten monethis Y was cruddid togi|dere in blood, of the seed of man, and bi acordynge delit of sleep. [verse 3] And Y was borun, and [and I I.] took comyn eir, and in lijk maner Y felle doun in to the erthe maad; and Y wepynge [weping; for a knaue child borun seith in weilinge A! and a maide child seith E! as pleyninge of the trespas of Adam and of Eue, for which thei ben borun the sones and douȝtris of ven|iaunce, and of wrecchidnesse. Lire here. C.] sente out the firste vois, lijk alle men. [verse 4] Y was nurschid in wrap|pyngis, [verse 5] and in greet bisynesses; for whi no man of kyngis [of kyngis; for thei ben borun vnmyȝty in bodi, and vn|kunnynge in the soule, and also othere men. oon entring; as to noun power and vnkun|nyng. lijk goyng out; as to angwische and nakidnesse of alle temporal thingis. Herfor; that is, for Y was borun al vn|kunnynge. Y desiride; the ȝifte of wis|dom. and wit, that is, the ȝifte of wisdom and of vndurstond|ing. was ȝouun; the spirit of wisdom, that is, the Hooli Goost, that ȝyu|eth wisdom. siluer schal be arettid as cley; that is, alle temporal thingis that ben comyn to goode men and yuele, and ben oftenere graunt|id to yuele men than to goode men, schulen be arettid of no valu, in com|parisoun of wisdom, with charite, that is ȝouun to goode men onely. Lire here. C.] hadde othere bigynnyng of birthe. [verse 6] Therfor oon entryng to lijf is to alle men, and lijk goyng out. [verse 7] Her|for Y desiride, and wit was ȝouun to me; and Y inwardli clepide, and the spirit of wisdom cam in to me. [verse 8] And Y settide wisdom bifore rewmes, and seetis; and Y seide, that richessis ben nouȝt in com|parisoun [verse 9] therof, and Y comparisonede not a preciouse stoon to it; forwhi al gold in comparisoun therof is a litil grauel, and siluer schal be arettid as cley in the siȝt therof. [verse 10] Y louyde wisdom more than helthe and fairnesse; and Y purposide to haue it for liȝt, for the liȝt therof may not be quenchid. [verse 11] Forsothe alle goodis camen togidere to me with it; and vn|noumbrable oneste is by the werkys therof. [verse 12] And Y was glad in alle thingis; for this wisdom ȝede bifore me, and Y knew not, for it is the modir of alle goodis. [verse 13] Which [The which I.] wisdom Y lernyde with out feynyng, and Y comyne [comyne it I.] without en|uye; and Y hide not the oneste therof. [verse 14] For it is tresour with out noumbre to men, and thei, that vsiden that tresour, weren maad parceneris of Goddis fren|schip, and weren preisid for the ȝiftis of kunnyng. [verse 15] Forsothe God ȝaf to me to seie

of sentence [of sentence; that is, to speke to the onour of God, and to the edifiyng of neiȝbore, bi grace ȝouun of God to me. and amendere of wise men; in encreessing hise ȝiftis to hem, for her good vss. ben in his hond; for ne|ther we moun do, nether speke, nether thenke ony good, with out him. Lire here. C.] , and to bifore take worthi thingis of these thingis that ben ȝouun to me; for he is the ledere of wisdom, and amendere of wise men. [verse 16] For whi bothe we, and oure wordis, and al wisdom, and lernyng of kunnyng of werkis ben in his hond. [verse 17] Forsothe he ȝaf to me the veri kunnyng of these thingis that ben, that Y knowe the disposicioun of the world, [verse 18] and the vertues of elementis; the bigyn|nyng, and the endyng, and the myddil of tymes; the chaungyngis of whilis, and the endyngis of tymes; the chaungyngis of maneres, and departyngis of tymes; [verse 19] the coursis of the ȝeer, and the disposi|ciouns [verse 20] of sterris; the kyndis of beestis, and the wraththis of wielde beestis; the strengthe of wyndis, and the thouȝtis of men [the thouȝtis of men; mennus thouȝtis moun be knowun certeynly onely bi Goddis reue|lacioun, but wise men knowen the thouȝtis of othere men bi coniecting, ether suppos|ing of outer|mere signes; and of this knowing spek|ith Salomon here. Lire here. C.] ; the differences of trees, and the vertues of rootis. [verse 21] And Y lernede what euer thingis ben hid and vnpurueyed; for whi wisdom, the crafti maker of alle thingis, tauȝte me. [verse 22] For in that wisdom vnmaad is the spirit of vndurstonding, hooli, many fold [hooly, many fold; that is, in ȝiftis. oon aloone; in him silf; therfor Poul seith, Oon in the same spirit worchith alle these thingis, and departith to ech man as he wole. sutil; that is, persinge alle thingis bi his vertu. mouable; in worching, for he makith men mouable and swift to sue his good stiring. manly ether curteis; in hauynge com|passioun on oure defautis. benygne; that is, wel louynge, in en|flawmynge vs to Goddis loue. more mouable, etc.; this mou|yng is seid bi licnesse, in as myche as Goddis wisdom strecchith forth to dispose alle the werkis of God, til to the leste thingis. Lire here. C.] , oon aloone, sutil, temperat, wijs, mouable, vndefoulid, cer|teyn, swete, louynge a good dede, which [the which I.] [verse 23] spirit forbedith no thing to do wel; cur|teis [manli, ether curteis C et ceteri. it is manli, ether curteis I.] , benynge, stable, sikur, hauynge al vertu, biholdynge alle thingis, and which [the which I.] takith alle spiritis able to vndurstonde, and he is clene, and sutil. [verse 24] For whi wis|dom is more mouable than alle mouable thingis; forsothe it stretchith forth euery where, for his clennesse. [verse 25] For it is a brething [For it is a brething, ether vapour; vapour is a thing reysid vp, and cometh forth of water, and is of the kynde of water; so Goddis Sone, which is seid the wisdom of the Fadir, cometh forth of him, and is of the same kynde with him. briȝtnesse of euerlastinge liȝt; for Goddis Sone is liȝt of liȝt. a myrour; in which alle thingis schynen most clerely. and ymage of his goodnesse; for it is propir of Goddis Sone, that he is the ymage of the Fadir, for whi aungels and men ben seid to ben his ymage. Lire here. C.] of Goddis vertu, and it is sum cleene comyngforth of the clerenesse of [verse 26] Almiȝti God; and therfor no defoulid thing renneth in to it. For it is briȝt|nesse of euerlastynge liȝt, and it is a myrrour with out wem of Goddis ma|ieste, and it is an ymage of his goodnesse.

[verse 27] And whanne it is oon, it may alle thingis; and it dwellith in it silf, and renulith alle thingis, and bi naciouns it berith ouer it silf in to hooli soulis; it makith the frendis of God [frendis of God; bi feith formed with charite. profetis; bi knowing aboue kynde. that dwellith with wisdom; that is, no but he be in cha|rite, for thanne God dwellith with him, and he with God. the formere; this lettre sem|eth to speke of wisdom vn|maad, without bigynnyng and ende; wisdom maad is formere than liȝt bi dignete, not bi during. Lire here. C.] and profetis. [verse 28] For God loueth no man, no [Om. I.] but hym that dwellith with wisdom. [verse 29] Forwhi this wisdom is fairere than the sunne, and is aboue al the [Om. I.] dis|posicioun of sterris; wisdom comparisound to liȝt, is foundun the formere. [verse 30] Forwhi niȝt cometh aftir that liȝt; but wysdom ouercometh malice. [verse 1] Therfor wisdom stretchith forth fro the ende til to the ende strongli, and disposith alle thingis swetly.